Just Once
by Allithea
Summary: Just once, it should have happened... When Captain Kirk decides to take Spock and Bones on a dangerous mission, 3 parsecs from the neutral zone, Scotty's exasperation doesn't escape notice of his commanding officers. One shot.


a/n: Just once… It should have happened...

* * *

"Spock, Bones, meet me in the transporter room. Mr. Scott you have the conn," Jim Kirk said snapping off the communicator with a half-smile. Another adventure waited for them on an alien planet. Kirk lived for these moments, to live on the edge of what was known and unknown. To discover new places, explore new ideas, interact with new people. This away mission had the added bonus of danger. He loved it.

Spock inclined his head to the captain to indicate that he was going to follow. Kirk gave him a smile and headed to the lift. A motion in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He turned toward it, stopping mid step. His chief engineer hadn't gotten out of his chair. Scotty's elbows were on his console and he held his head in his hands, slumped forward like he had a killer headache.

"Scotty?" Kirk asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sir," Scott said, sitting up and flushing red. "Sorry sir." He stood up and made his way to the center chair.

Kirk watched him make the short walk down the steps to the center chair. He didn't sit down. He leaned on the chair and did a quick scan around the bridge. He and Uhura made eye contact, they shared a tight smile.

"Mr. Scott," Spock asked with one of his eyebrows cocked up. "Are you in distress?"

"No sir," Scott said, clipped and tight.

"Yes, you are," Kirk said. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sir," Scott said.

"It's not nothing," Kirk said, a unsettled feeling popping into his chest. "It's something. Tell me, what's wrong?"

Scotty's eyes caught Uhura's again and then snapped back to the Captain. "It's nothing more than usual, Captain."

"Nothing more than usual? What does that mean?" Kirk said, puzzled. If Scotty were ill, then he or Spock would have to stay behind. He didn't like it.

Scotty looked like a cornered animal. His eyes flicked to Uhura, toward Sulu and Chekov, back to Kirk and then to Spock. He took a deep breath and gripped the Captain's chair like he was on roller coaster.

"Due respect sirs, you are beaming down into a potentially hostile situation with 3 of the 4 senior officers of the ship."

"They are the most qualified people for mission," Kirk said, needled. "Spock is science officer and an invaluable resource about native people, cultures and customs. He is skilled in negation and able in combat. Without a doubt, he is the most able person in the entire crew to make first contact and deal with complex situations."

"Aye sir, I agree."

Kirk stared for a moment at Scott, who didn't volunteer anything else, so Kirk continued, "And Bones, well, is Bones."

"Your oldest mate," Scott provided with a nod.

"Yes," Jim said, jumping on it. "And the finest doctor on a starship. He has helped us more times than I can count."

"Aye, he has," Scott said with a nod of agreement.

"Then what's your problem?" Kirk asked.

Scotty shook his head and said, "It's nothing, sir."

They all fell into an awkward silence that hung over the bridge like smoke. The uneasy feeling solidified in Kirk's stomach. He couldn't leave with this hanging over them, but he knew Mr. Scott well enough to know that he wasn't going to volunteer anything more. So, he did what he always did. He looked to Spock.

Spock understood the unstated question. "I believe Mr. Scott is displeased at your selection of away team officers. Your choices for away team duty are quite predictable. 84% of the away team assignments have included you, me, and the doctor. This effectively removes the command staff from the ship, and doesn't leave anyone on the ship above the rank of lieutenant, other than Mr. Scott. I believe humans call this behavior being left high and dry."

"We don't leave him high and dry," Kirk said to his first officer.

"We are leaving him on board the ship with 400 people under his command, near the neutral zone, orbiting a planet hostile to Starfleet, while the three other senior officers are in a potentially dangerous situation. That seems to fit the definition."

"I need both you and Bones on this mission. It's going to be difficult, and without you and Bones, I don't think it's possible. There isn't a choice. He's the second officer. He needs take care of the ship."

"I do not think he is debating his duty, captain."

"Scotty?"

"I don't like all three of you going down there, that's true. It's too dangerous. And, yes, I don't like being left here like this."

"I know the mission is dangerous. That can't be helped. But why are you upset about being left here? It wouldn't be any different if I were here. It's just a different officer in charge. You have command training. You do far better sitting in that chair than in planet side negotiations."

"Aye sir, there is no doubt of that," Scott said with a nod.

"Then what is your problem."

"As soon as you and Mr. Spock beam off the ship, something goes wrong. Every time, Captain. We'll have either a mechanical problem, or trouble with the Klingons, or a medical emergency. And I won't have a science officer or a doctor, and since I'm here, I won't have a chief engineer. I'm in command of the Enterprise, during a crisis, with no command officers."

"I've never heard you complain before," Kirk said, angry now.

"I'm not complaining now, sir. I just stated facts."

"Mr. Scott's concern does agree with Starfleet regulation, which recommends that the captain and the first officer should not accompany each other on an away team."

"That's a recommendation, it's not an official mandate. We're not breaking any rules."

"It should be official," Scotty murmured under his breath.

"And maybe someday it will be, but as of today it's not. We're going. You have the conn, unless you are in too much distress to be in command."

"No sir," Scott said, his eyes downcast.

"Then we'll talk about your attitude later, when we return."

"Yes, sir." Scott said.

* * *

Jim looked up at the chime of the door. He had been dozing in his chair, nursing his healing body.

"Come in," he said, standing up.

The door slid open. Mr. Scott stood outside the door, looking pensive, tense, and wrung out. Jim didn't feel much better than Scotty looked.

The mission had been worse than most. The Enterprise was attacked by Klingon confederates, while, he Spock and Bones were interrogated for information on behalf of the Klingon Empire. Interrogation Klingon style, which meant torture by all Starfleet standards. But the planet wasn't aligned with the Empire, so they could do what they wanted without having to stick to the peace treaty. The planet was trying to prove to the Klingons that they were worthy of membership to the Empire. Their hearts weren't in it, but they were more scared of the Klingons then they were of the Federation. They were scared enough of the Klingons that they would fight a war for them, leaving the Empire blameless.

Scotty managed to save the ship and not start a war. He used their reasoning in reverse, without understanding the game they were playing. He made triply sure that they were not Klingon ships, and then he used all the power of the Enterprise against them. Against a warbird, Scotty would have been outmatched or even. Against the planet's ships, he had a slight weapons and power advantage, but they were far more maneuverable. He destroyed their ships, but it was a bitter fight.

Engineering took a direct hit and the hull breeched. 4 crewmen were blown into space and the aft nacelle was damaged. There were heavy injuries in engineering and in auxiliary control. As soon as Scotty had the senior staff in hand, he retreated back to Starbase 53, on warp 1, which was the fastest speed the engines could hold. With any luck, they would reach it in 4 days.

"You wanted to see me sir." Scotty asked.

"Yes, Scotty, come in. Have a seat," Jim said, gesturing to his desk.

Scott took the seat and sat down wearily.

"Have you been able to rest yet?" Kirk asked.

"No sir. You?"

"Dr. McCoy has let me and Spock do nothing else."

"Sounds like you need it."

"They wanted us to give up codes to the Starfleet's private channels. It was a good thing that Bones didn't know them, he would have cracked. And since he didn't know anything, they left him alone, which gave him opportunity to patch Spock and me up."

"Aye sir, and you still managed to secure their allegiance to the Federation, even after what they put you through."

"For a mission that went so badly wrong, it is the one bright spot. There's another bright spot, for you anyways. I asked to here to show you this."

Kirk brought up a communique from Starfleet on his computer, turned the screen so Scotty could see it, and then watched as he read through it. Scotty's eyebrow raised up like Spock's did.

"Congratulations," Kirk said with a smile. "It's not every day you get a medal for exceptional service in the line of duty. You have been racking up accommodations left and right, this one is new at least."

"I was just doing my duty, sir."

"It was above and beyond. You didn't start a war, and you saved the ship and everyone on it."

"Not everyone, sir."

"I know," Kirk said, with a sigh. "I just finished writing up my report and letters to the families. Two of them worked for you. Do you want to add anything?"

Scott sighed and looked even more tired, "Aye, sir, I will."

Kirk felt the knot in his chest, "There is one other thing I wanted to show you. I haven't shared this with anyone, not even Spock. I'll have to tell Spock eventually, but I thought you deserved to see it first. Read it aloud."

Scotty eyes narrowed at the strange request, but he did as requested when Jim found the next communique and brought it up on the screen.

"To: Captain James T. Kirk, in command of Enterprise NCC1701.

Subject: Formal Reprimand: SR# 1090012319. Recipient: James T. Kirk. Authority: Admiral Jansen, Starfleet HQ.

Mr. Kirk, Starfleet regulation 11278.6 states that away teams should consist of one and only one of the senior staff of the starship when the ship is in danger or could be in a potentially dangerous situation in the immediate future. The Enterprise was within 3 parsecs of the Klingon neutral zone, at a planet with known hostility to Starfleet, which put the ship in potentially dangerous space. Despite this location, you took on the away team, not just one, but three senior staff members, fully 75% of the command staff. Your second officer managed the situation well, and has been given a medal for his efforts. In future, whenever the Enterprise is within 10 parsecs of the Neutral Zone, you or your first officer need to remain aboard the ship. For your reference, we have included a list of all planets in the areas wherein this rule will apply. Circumstances around this issue have lessened the consequences of your actions, including the injury to Commander Spock and yourself, and the securing of the peace treaty with the Gratiens. These are listed in the report SIR# 1430011084. This reprimand will stay in your permanent file, no other actions will be taken. Return to duty as soon as you are medically fit. Admiral Jansen.

Scotty drifted off and he shook his head.

"You secured the peace treaty after all that fuss and they still give you a reprimand."

"Which I deserved. And wouldn't have gotten had I listened to you in the first place."

Scotty didn't say anything. He looked sheepish and uncomfortable.

Kirk continued, "They had us exactly where they wanted us. I don't know if you know, but they requested Spock, personally by name as their negotiator. You know why?"

Scott shook his head.

"Because they knew I would come with him, and it would give them two targets for their interrogation. The only way it have possibly been worse is if I had made you come as well, giving them three."

"There was no way you could have known what their motivations were," Scotty said.

"You knew," Kirk said.

"I didn't know. I just know that whenever both you and Mr. Spock are on an away mission, the worst thing that I can imagine usually happens."

"Well, Dr. McCoy reports that Mr. Spock will be ready to return to duty tomorrow, alpha shift. Have you been able to do all the repairs on the ship that you can do from here, in warp?"

"No sir," Scotty said. "I haven't had the time."

"Tomorrow, you are relieved from command duty until after we reach Starbase 53. Give Mr. Spock a report of the fixes that need to be finished, and then you are relieved for 72 hours. Spock will oversee the repairs with Lieutenant Kyle."

"I'm fine, sir. I'd rather work on the ship than sit in my quarters."

"It's not my order, it's Dr. McCoy's. If you have issue with it, take it up with the good doctor. His report mentioned something about sleep deprivation. Said you looked half dead from it. I see what he means."

Scotty shrugged. "Did you need anything else, sir. I should be getting back to the bridge and you should be getting more rest."

"No, thanks for coming down."

"Aye, sir."

Scotty got up and turned to leave. As he reached the door Jim said, "One last thing?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Thank you for saving the ship and the away team."

"Aye sir. Couldn't let those baddies mess with your perfect hair, now could I?"


End file.
